UN says over 350 killed by Haiti vigilante groups as thousands flee gang warfare

FILE PHOTO: A man carries an elderly man as they flee their neighbourhood Carrefour Feuilles after gangs took over, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo

(Reuters) -The United Nations on Friday estimated that more than 350 people have been killed in Haiti by civilian vigilante groups since April, amid escalating gang violence that has in recent days has forced thousands to flee in parts of the capital.

Since April 24, when civilians lynched more than a dozen suspected criminals, birthing the "Bwa Kale" vigilante movement, some 310 alleged gang members, 46 civilians and a police officer have been killed, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.